TMS Carriers: Managing Carrier Profiles

Keep the linehaul carriers you dispatch to in TMS: name, SCAC, contact and modes, lane rates per carrier, an own-fleet flag, a performance scorecard and a portal invite when they need access.

The TMS carrier list (TMS → Carriers, /tms/carriers) is the roster you dispatch linehaul work to. Each profile holds the basics — name, SCAC, contact, phone, email and the modes it runs (FTL, LTL, parcel) — plus two things dispatch actually runs on: the carrier’s lane rates and its track record. Note the split with Master Data: the shared carrier profile and per-Client shipping accounts and credentials live under Master Data → Carriers and Master Data → Carrier Accounts; the TMS list is the transport-side view for dispatching, rates and performance, and the two are maintained for different jobs.

Step 1: Create a carrier#

1. On TMS → Carriers, click + New carrier (top right). You land on the new carrier page (/tms/carriers/new).
2. Fill in the Name (required) and the SCAC if the carrier has one. SCAC must be 2–4 letters, such as ODFL or FXFE — the form rejects anything else.
3. Add the Contact, Phone and Email — the details dispatch uses when something needs a phone call.
4. Tick at least one Mode — FTL, LTL or parcel. A carrier with no mode cannot be created, because dispatch matches orders to carriers by mode.
5. If this carrier is your own fleet, tick Own fleet — when dispatching, it is then grouped under “My Fleet”. Click Create carrier and you return to the list.

Step 2: Find a carrier and open its detail#

1. Open TMS → Carriers. The count above the filters shows how many carriers are on the roster.
2. Type a name or SCAC into Search name / SCAC and click Search — the filter applies on click. Reset clears it.
3. Read each row: name with SCAC underneath (and a tier badge when the carrier has one), its modes as badges, contact with phone and email, status (Active or Inactive) and type (My Fleet or External). Click a row to expand it — that is where rates, the scorecard and the row actions live.

Step 3: Maintain lane rates#

1. Expand the carrier’s row on TMS → Carriers. The Lane rates table lists every rate on file: lane, mode, base rate, unit, fuel surcharge %, effective period and minimum charge.
2. Click + Add rate. Choose the Mode and the rate Unit — per mile, per pallet, per cwt or flat.
3. Set the Lane origin and Lane destination — leave either blank for a rate that applies to any lane. Enter the Base rate (required), then optionally the Fuel %, Minimum charge and the Effective from / to dates. Click Save.

Rates live under the carrier, not in a separate price list, because that is how dispatch thinks: pick the carrier, see what that lane costs with them. A blank origin or destination makes the rate a general rate for the mode — handy for a carrier you use everywhere, while a specific lane rate records the deal you actually negotiated for that route.

Step 4: Activate, deactivate and the own-fleet flag#

• In the expanded row, click Deactivate to stop using a carrier without deleting it. Its row is shown dimmed in the list; click Activate in the same place to bring it back.
• Also in the expanded row: Mark as own fleet / Mark as external flips the Type shown on the row, so a carrier you bring in-house (or spin out) keeps its rates and history instead of starting over as a new profile.

Step 5: Read the scorecard and the tier badge#

Under the rates in the expanded row, the Scorecard sums up how the carrier has actually performed: total orders, on-time rate, tender acceptance rate, claim count and total freight cost. Next to the carrier’s name in the list you may also see a tier badge — Preferred, Normal, Watch or Blocked — a quick read on standing that dispatch can check before assigning the next load. Use the two together: rates say what a carrier costs, the scorecard says what working with them has been like.

Step 6: Invite a carrier to the Carrier Portal#

1. On TMS → Carriers, click Invite to portal (top of the page).
2. Pick the Carrier, enter their Email, and choose a Role — Admin or Operator — then click Generate invite link.
3. The page shows the invite link — send it to the carrier yourself. The link is valid for 7 days; use Copy to grab it, then Done to close.

Docklify features used in this article#

• Carrier roster with name/SCAC search — TMS → Carriers (/tms/carriers)
• New carrier form with SCAC check, modes and own-fleet flag — TMS → Carriers → + New carrier (/tms/carriers/new)
• Lane rates per carrier, with add-rate form (mode, unit, lane, fuel %, minimum, effective dates) — TMS → Carriers → expand a row
• Carrier scorecard and tier badge — TMS → Carriers → expand a row
• Activate / deactivate and own-fleet toggle — TMS → Carriers → expand a row
• Carrier Portal invite link (7 days) — TMS → Carriers → Invite to portal
• Shared carrier profiles and per-Client shipping accounts — Master Data → Carriers / Master Data → Carrier Accounts